Embossing machine



March 26, 1929. F. c. REI-:DER

EMBOSSING MACHINE F'il'ed Aug. 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l :Jn/veinte@ f im, W/ www@ March 26, 1929., I F, c, REEDER 1,706,744

EMBOS SING MACHINE Filed Au'g. 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u 5 57 v m ,262 Z6 .5.9 L50 62 56 Z Z3 44 l 40, Z

y 43 .56 L f 64 i J6' 5 J5 L J gnou/Wo@ 61H01 new;

Patented 26, 1929.'

Nrrao/ STATES' PATENT ortica.v

' FRANK C. BIEDER, 0F KN'OXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOB TGV-THE FUIITON SYLPHON CGHPANY, F KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION 0l' DELAWARE.

mmossnm mom Application illed August 28, 1927. Serial Fo. 215,895.

This invention relates to an emboing machine, and more particularly to means for controlling the temperature of the head or platen of an embossing machine. y

s It has heretofore been roposed to provide embossing machines, of t e type adapted for hot stamping of leather, with steam heated platen: or dies. Machines of this character have been unsatisfactory both from the i@ standpoint of temperature regulation and expense of operation. l

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel means for .controlling the platen temperatures of machines of this cliarf l acter.

Another object of this invent-ion is to provide an embossing machine wherein the 'die or platen is heated 1day Water and the Water heated by steam, thecontrol of the steam sup- 2G ply being effected automatically in accordance with the temperature of the heated water passing through the platen. l

Other objects of this invention are to provide a novel heating system which may be readily installed on embossing machines now in use, one which is economical in operation, and one l,which is adapted to maintain the platen at an even, predetermined and adjustable temperature. These and other objects will appear more fully hereinafter in the detailed description. Y

The invention is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly .understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits ofthe invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of-one type of embossing machine embodying the present invention; and Y Fig. e2 is an axial cross-section illustrating one type of thermostatic control means which may be employed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring more particularly to Fig; 1, therev is disclosed an embossing machine-,dom-

prising a base 3 on which is mounted in any suitable manner an over-hanging, pivoted head4 which carries at its upper free end the embossing die or platen 5. Immediately beneath the'die 5 is a table or die -which receives the leather oryother substance to be The heater is preferably of the type wherein embossed or ressed. 'Machines of this character are wel known in the art, and the parts l so far described perse constitute no part of the present invention.

Suitably mounted on frame 3, or closely adljacent thereto, is a heater 7 through which a liquid such' as water is conducted, as by means of pipe 8, a suitable valve 9 being provided in said pipe to control the flow of the Water.

the lWater to be heated circulates through a coil (not shown) in the heater and the heating fluid, such as steam, passes through the shell of. the heater, but any suitable construction of heater may be employed.

After being heated the circulating Water passes through pipe 10 to the embossing head or die 5. Since the head 5 is movably mounted, while heater 7 and pipe l() are fixedly mounted, flexible joints 11, 12 of any suitable type are provided along the length of the pipe 10to permit the connect-ions to be maintained at :all times with the head. The means for distributing the heat of the Water in die 5 may assume a variety of forms as is well under- S0 stood in the art. F or example, the die may be l provided with bailles constituted by inte# riorly formed ridges or walls, to circulate the heated waterso that its heat is distributed uniformly over the lower face of the die, but preferably a flat coil is provided for this purpose. Since heat distributing means of this type are well known in the art, they are not illustrated herein and itn'ill be understood that-the term heating coil as employed hereinafter is to be broadly construed to include `any of the various suitable types of heat distributing means, such for exmnple as are now Y employed.

From the heating coil the heated fluid passes through pipe or conduit 13 provided with flexible joints 14, .15 to the upper portion of a thermostatic controlling device 16 to be described more fully hereinafter. v From the control device 16 the heated fluid passes through conduit 17, past a relief valve 18, which is preferably set to open at a pressure of 25 poun-ds,-and thence through ipe 19 to the feed water heater of a suita le steam' plant for generating the steam employed in heater 7. i i

The steam for heating the water flowin through the path just described, is supplie by means of pipe 20 that isr preferably rovided'with a strainer 21. From the Strainer" 110 the steam flows past a valve 22, the movement of the latter being'eontrolled by the thermostatically'actuatedmember 16, as will be described hereinafter, and thence to the casing of heater 7. The exhaust steam passes through conduit 23 to a suitable steam trap 24 and back to the heating plant through pipe 25;

A variety of thermostatically controlled elements may be employed for regulating the amount of steam admitted to heater 7, therebyregulatingthe temperature of the heating medium passing through the head ordie 5.' As shown in Fig. 2, the temperature regulator l5 comprises a bowl 26 which may be `formed as a casting, and which is provided with threaded openings 27 and 28 to receive the connections or pipes 13 and 17 respectively. =A cup-shaped member 29, that may be formed as a casting, is secured, as by means of bolts i 30, to the lower flanged portion 26 of the bowl 26.

The .partition 31 is provided with a centrally disposed, threaded opening to receive a threaded tube 33 which may be soldered to the partition if desired, to provide a water tight joint. The upper end ot tube 33 extends into the compartment above partition 31 and mounted on tube 33 is a bulb 34, the end ofk said tube opening into the bulb and terminating near the inner surface of the upper wall of the bulb. A fluid tight joint is provided between the tube and the lower wall of the bulb, as by Hanging the wall of the bulb surrounding the'opening and soldering this flanged portion to the tube. Secured in any suitable manner, as by means of vsoldering, to the lowerface oit partition 3l, is a flanged and cup-shaped member 35 which constitutes a stationary headfor a flexible corrugated wall 360i tubular form, said corrugated wall being secured to the flanged portion 35 of cup 35. Tube 33 projects through a central aperture in the bottom of cup 35 and is iixedly attached to said cup, as by means of a plate 37, that may be threaded .onto the tube, and a soldered connection 38.

A 'dead air space 39 is formed between cup 35 and partition31 for apurpose to be olescribed hereinafter.

A disk-shaped member 4Q, is secured as by means of solder to the lower end of corrugated wall 36 and constitutes a rigid movable end wall for thelexible corrugated member;

The bulb '34 is provided, withl a filling tube 4 1 in order that a thermosensitive vliuid may be introduced into said bulb, and through tube 33, into the expansible and collapsible vessel constituted by stationary end wall 35, flexible wall 36 and movable end wall 40. A

sufficient. amount of the thermosensitive fluid is introduced to fill the expansible and collapsible vessel 35, 36, 40, the tube 33, and to partially fill bulb 11. Thereafter, filling tube 41 is sealed in any suitable manner, yas by means of cork and solder, to prevent the vescape of the fluid. Preferably an opening 42 is drilled in tube 33 adjacent the lower wall thus circulated around bulb 34 and the tem perature of said water is effective to volatilize the thcrmosensitive liquid, whereupon the pressure thus formed in the bulb is transmit ted through tube 33 to the expansible and collapsible vessel to move head '49. ,The air space 39 acts as an insulator forthe expansible and collapsible vessel, so. that the volatile fluid therein is not directly subjected to the variations in temperature to which bulb 34 is subjected. f

The movements imparted to head 40, of the collapsible and expansible vessel, by ,the changes in temperature of the heated water flowing from the coil in;` die 5, are employed to actuate a steam supply valve 43,- whereby` the amount of steam flowing through heater 7 1s controlled and hence the temperature of uio the water flowing through head 5 is con- .A

trolled. For this purpose, the movable head 40 has attached thereto, as by soldering or brazing, a plate 44 which terminates in a downwardly extending plunger 45 that eX- tends into a recess 46 formed in a stemhead 47. The lower end of stem head 47 has threaded engagement with a rod 48 that is provided at its lower end with a threaded recess 49 into which is threaded a stem 50 for the valve 43.

A frame 51 is provided for maintaining the `housing 52 for valve 43 in operative relation with the expansible and collapsible vessel 35, 36, 40, said frame being provided at its lower end with an opening 53 to receive a threaded bonnet 54 that may be formed integrally with the housing 52. A nut 55 is preferably employed to secure the frame 5l to bonnet 54.

Threaded into suitable recesses in the upper l end of frame 51 are a pluralityof rods 56 which areattached at their upper ends in any suitable maner tothe cup 29. Spacing tubes 57 surrouund rods 56- and have engagement at their upper ends with the lower face of cup 29, and at their lower ends lwith the upper face of frame 51.v The valve housin and frame 51 are thus rigidly and adjustab yse- 'valve stem 50 downwardly to elose'valve 43, means are provided for automatically opencured in fixed relation with theV expansible;

and collapsible vessel.

Since plunger 451s only effective to move ing the valve when the-tem erature of the heated water falls and hencew enthe pressure' in bulb 34 is lowered. Yielding means, such as coil spring 58, is preferably employed for automatically opening valve 43, although a weighted lever may be employed, if desired.

This spring surrounds`rod'48 and bears at its upper end against a sprin plate 59 that eni nut 61 threaded onto the lower end of a sleeve 62 which surrounds rod 48 and which is 'supported at its lower end in the transverse dv extending portion 51 of frame 51. By a justing the' position of nut 61 on -threaded sleeve 62, the tension ofthe spring 58 ma be adjusted to vary thev temperature at w ich valve 43 is opened.

Means are preferably provided for limiting the movement of head 40 of the expansible and collapsible vessel. For this purpose a limiting device 63 may be threaded, onto the upper end of sleeve 62 in position to coaet with the lower end of stem head 47 to positively limit the movement ot said head and plunger'45.. The limiting device 63 is provided with an opening through which slidably extends the rod 48 and is retained in adjusted position on sleeve 62, as by means of a lock screw 64. -Steam supply pi e 20 is connected to a coupling 64 secure to the valve housing 52. When the temperature .of the heating water falls, spring 58 acts through stem head 47, rod 48 and valve stem 50 to open valve 43 and admit more steam to the heater 7. AA risc in tem erature of vthe heating water above the desired degree results in an expansion of the corrugated vessel whereby theyalve is moved to closed position andthe supply of steam is diminished or entrel sluit oit.

' There is thus provided means for controlling the platen temperature of leather embossing machines whereby the platen is maintained at an even and predetermined temperature. The apparatus is readily adjustable for various temperatures, as desired, and when adjusted is automatic in operation. Large fluctuations in temperature, resulting from the use of steam-heated platens, are avoided and the device is readily installed on embossing machines now in use without the necessity of skilled labor. The initial cost of installation, and cost of 'operation' after the change is made, will be less than that of systems heretofore employed. After passngthrouglithe machine,thewater is returned to vralieed water heater with little loss in temperature, so that the waste water will be conserved, wcll'a's4 the heat energy imparted thereto. The apparatus is simple in' construction and practical in its,operation.

Various changes may be made in the detailsl of construction and in the form of the heating apparatus. employed,as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. While only one embodiment of the'inventio'n has ,been described in detail and illustrated in the drawings, it is tofbe expressly understood that the drawings, are for purposes of illustration only, and that various chaneesmay be made therein without departing fb om the invention defined in lthe following claims. What is claimed is 1. Apparatus of theclass describedl com- Y prising, in combination with lthe die of an embossing machine, a heating, coil in said die, a heater, flexible means for conducting water from said heater to said coil, means .for supplying a heating fluid to the heater, and means controlled in accordance with the temperature of the water passing through said die for regulating tlie'supply of heating'luid to said heater. v

A2. In a" heating system for an embossing machine die, a heating coil in said die, awater heater, flexible means for conducting water fromsaid heater to said coil, means for supplying steam-to said heater, and adjust-v able means contrlling the steam supply to maintain the water passing from said coil at a predetermined temperature.

. 3. In a heating system for an embossing machine die, a heating coil in said die, a water heater, ilexible means for conducting water `from said heater to said coil, means for supplying steam to said heater, and thermostatic means controlling thesteam supply .to

maintain the water passing from said coil at a predetermined temperature.

.4. A heating system for an embossing niachinc die comprising a coil carried by said die, a water heater, means for conducting wa.- ter from said heater to said coil, thermosensitive means including an expansible and collapsible vessel, means for conducting the water from said coil to said tliermosensitive means, a conduit for conducting steam to said heater, and a valve in said conduit, said valve being operatively connected to said tliermosensitive means and adapted to be operated by said vessel when the temperature of the water passing from said coil departs from a predetermined degree.

- 5. Apparatus of the class described comprising, in combination with an embossing machine die, a heating coil in said die, a heator, said die being movable relative to said heater, means including flexible joints for.

conducting water from the heater to said die, means for supplying steam to the heater, and thei'mos'tatically controlled means including a valve for regulating the amount of steam supplied to the heater, said last named means being controlled in accordance with the temcrature of the water passing through said v 1e.

6. In apparatus'of` the class described, a

` die, a heating coil in said die, flexible means for conducting water to andfrom said coil,

means for Aheating the AWater as it'passes to v said coil, and thermostatic means controlled by the temperature of the water discharged from said coil for' controllingsaid heating heater, said coil being movable `relative to' said heater, flexible means for conducting water from the heater' to" said coil, means for supplyingvsteam bo saidheater, a valve for controlling said suppl means, thermosensitive meansfor controlling said valve, flexi ble means :for conducting water from vsaid coil to said thermosensitive means, and a valve for controlling the flow of water from said thermosensitive means.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. C REEDER 

